The Gerontological Society of America launched an oral health initiative with the goals of enabling older adults to maintain their oral health as part of a healthy aging process and to assist researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers to identify areas of needed activity and research on the topic of oral health in older adults.

A key focus of the initiative is advancing the belief that helping older adults maintain good oral health involves oral health professionals and also an interprofessional team of “oral health champions”, including primary care and specialty physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, social workers, psychologists, physical and occupational therapists, and others who can advocate for, educate about, and provide direct care supporting oral health.

This multi-faceted initiative is comprised of a variety of interrelated elements including:

The Oral Health Workgroup, a team of experts charged with increasing awareness and understanding of the importance of appropriate oral care and strengthening the impact that all members of healthcare and caregiver teams have on ensuring good oral care for older adults. The GSA Workgroup on Oral Health seeks an interprofessional approach to improved oral health for all older adults.

The GSA Oral Health Interest Group, providing an opportunity for persons interested in the issue of oral health as an essential element of healthy aging to meet, exchange, information and resources, and make contacts with persons who have similar interests.

The development and publication of the What's Hot newsletter, "Oral Health: An Essential Element of Healthy Aging." Intended for an interprofessional audience, this publication discusses the impact of poor oral health in older adults, relationships between oral health, systemic conditions, functional abilities, and healthy aging, as well as current challenges and potential opportunities in the area of geriatric oral health.

The convening of an Oral Health Forum in March 2017 of leading experts and key stakeholders committed to healthy aging to identify solutions and create a roadmap to improving the interprofessional oral health care of older adults. More than 40 participants from industry, government, academia, research, practice, and not-for profit membership organizations attended. Recommendations of the participants were incorporated into the July 2017 white paper (see below).

Caregiver Resources

Oral health and aging is an important topic for both older adults and caregivers. Check out these fact sheets about oral health and older adults from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) which focus on how caregivers can help older adults take care of their mouths over time:

Brushing: Information for Caregivers (PDF) — This fact sheet offers practical suggestions about how to provide guidance or direct care, as well as tips that may make brushing easier.

Flossing: Information for Caregivers (PDF) — This tip sheet offers a step-by-step guide to those who can floss independently and provides tips for caregivers on how to floss someone else’s teeth.

Research Opportunities and Funding

NIDCR/Clinical Research to Improve the Oral Health of Older Adults (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed); PAR-19-239 (Companion Funding Opportunity: PAR-19-240, R21 Exploratory/Developmental Grant) The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to stimulate research to address gaps in our knowledge related to the risk factors, access to care barriers, oral health promotion and disease prevention strategies, and clinical management of dental, oral, and craniofacial diseases more commonly experienced by older adults. This FOA defines “older adults” as those individuals age 65 years and older. This FOA will not support studies that meet the NIH Definition of a Clinical Trial. Investigators proposing clinical trials must use NIDCR’s UG3/UH3 mechanism. Click for information about NIDCR’s clinical trials program.